Never Apart
by Liza Taylor
Summary: Akihiko thought he would never see her again, the young woman who gave up her life to protect everyone by turning into a seal to protect Nyx. But can it be possible for her to return? AkihikoXFeMC/Minako/Hamuko


**Yup. First Persona fanfiction ever. Okay, the backstory for this one was that I made it to the end of P3P and got Akihiko's ending and I was so depressed. It was so sad and I felt so bad for Akihiko so this fanfiction is what I'm writing so it'll have a happy ending kind of thing. I have not played FES, only read what happened so if there are inconsistences…whatever. This story I just wrote for a happy ending. Anyway, enjoy.**

Akihiko Sanada stood at the curb with a crowd of people, all waiting for the light to change. Cars ran back and forth, all going to their destination. All of these people around him, they did not know about how close they had come to death. They did not know about what happened four years ago. His fist tightened as he thought of the final battle against Nyx. How they had all fought with everything they had to stop her but it was not for them to stop Nyx.

Hamuko.

She was the one who stopped Nyx from destroying the world. At the cost of her own life.

Whenever he closed his eyes he could see her on the rooftop on graduation day. She had been lying down talking with Aigis until he had come over. He could still remember holding her in his arms and promising to be with her forever. And then…

And then she had fallen limp in his arms. She looked to be asleep, he thought she was asleep, he hoped she was asleep but no matter what he did, no matter how much he begged, she wouldn't wake up. She just laid lifelessly in his arms.

It was only later that he learned that she had become a seal to prevent the world from being destroyed. It was because of her that he was alive at this moment. It was because of her that he could feel the wind on his skin and the beauty of this world. Even if she could never see it again.

The sounds of footsteps brought him back to the present. The light was now green and the normal people around him began to cross. He pushed the sad thoughts of her away and stepped out into the street.

He didn't want to remember her for just those sad times. So much happiness happened with her as well. He swallowed and tried to reign in his emotions. He didn't want to break down in the middle of the street. She deserved more than that. She would want him to live on for her sake and not dwell on thoughts of her forever.

"Do you wish to save her?"

Akihiko stopped in his tracks and whirled around to face the owner of the voice. It was a tall man in a blue uniform. His golden eyes watched Akihiko intently.

"What?"

"Do you wish to save her?" repeated the strange man. "Do you wish to save the one who you love?"

Could it be possible? Was this guy talking about Hamuko?

No.

It was crazy. This guy didn't know about her at all. He was probably just some crazy guy.

"Hamuko," spoke the man. "Do you wish to save Hamuko?"

It was impossible. Hamuko was the great seal now. She was protecting everyone. If she was to be saved then the world would be destroyed by Nyx because of the wish of everyone on Earth.

But.

To see her smiling at him again. To hear her voice again. To feel her touch again. He would do anything for that. Anything for her.

"I understand," spoke the strange man. "Come with me."

Akihiko did not understand why but he followed the man back the way he came. "Who are you? And how do you know about her?"

"My name is Theodore," replied the man. "Hamuko was a special guest." He fell silent and Akihiko felt like there was more to this than he was letting on.

"What are you talking about?" asked Akihiko. "Guest to what?" His eyes narrowed. Who was this guy?

"It was nothing that you are thinking of," replied Theodore. "She was a guest. I helped her create personas."

Akihiko relaxed slightly. He remembered her mentioning it once. It was when Mitsuru had asked her how she could use multiple personas and how they kept changing. She explained a bit about something she called the Velvet Room and how she created new personas in it. Was this the same guy that she talked about that helped her with that?

Theodore entered a dark alley and stopped to let Akihiko catch up. "You will do anything for her correct?" he asked suddnely.

"Of course," replied Akihiko. He looked at the ground and the floodgate that held back the thoughts of her came back in full force. Everything from her smile to her tears. To when she was frustrated to when she fought mercilessly against the Shadows. Everything she did she did a hundred percent. Nothing was left half done. That was one of the things he loved about her.

Theodore closed his eyes, a small smile on his face. "Good. I'm glad."

"What?" Akihiko never got to finish his thought. One second they were in a dark dingy alley, the next they were at the door of the Great Seal. She was right there before him. A statue that protected Nyx from everything.

He could remember the last time he was here. The fight against Erebus. That the last time he thought he would see her. To see her again now, even if she was a statue, it was heartbreaking. She was made out of stone and seemed so far away from him. But it didn't matter. He still wanted to reach out and touch her. Even if she was a statue it was still her.

Theodore stepped towards her, an odd look on his face and looked back at Akihiko. He gestured for Akihiko to follow him. Not knowing what else to do he complied. "I was going to do this myself," explained Theodore as he approached the statue. "I was going to release her from this prison but there was no way I could leave her alone in the world without anyone to help her in the beginning. She would be alone without anyone to count on."

"But why me?" asked Akihiko. "Why was I chosen?"

Theodore looked back at him and the sad smile from before was back. "Because she loves you," he said simply.

It was then that Akihiko understood the emotion on Theodore's face as he gazed up at the statue. "You love her too," he said softly.

"Yes," Theodore reached up and stroked her stone cheek. "She showed me a lot of the outside world. She showed me things that I could never dream of not knowing. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't even know what love was." His expression didn't change as he turned fully to Akihiko. "But I knew she would never look at me in that way. I could see the difference in the way she talked about you. I could never be the one she would love like that. She would never talk to me like she would you. I know that."

Akihiko didn't know what to say. His emotions felt like they were on overdrive. It was overwhelming to be here again, to be in her presence after so long.

"So please," continued Theodore. "Never leave her side. Always be there for her. No matter what, make sure you never leave her."

"I promise," said Akihiko out of the bottom of his heart. "I will never leave her."

Theodore smiled again. "Then that is enough. Take care of her." He reached into his pocket and took out something Akihiko had never thought to see again in use.

An evoker.

"Never let her go," said Theodore as he put the evoker to his temple and pulled the trigger.

A bright light came from Theodore as his persona was summoned. Akihiko struggled as much as he could but he was forced to close his eyes from the light. When he opened his eyes again he was back in the alley.

He was alone.

Wait.

A sound of someone groaning came from next to him.

He looked towards the sound.

The world stopped.

There she was, in a rumpled Gekkoukan High uniform. The same one that she worn into the battle against Nyx. Her brown hair pulled back in the signature ponytail, her barrettes stylized in XXII. She looked up at him with her red eyes. Those red eyes that he thought he would never see again.

"Akihiko," she whispered in a hoarse voice that sounded like it hadn't been used in years.

Akihiko knew he was crying but he could not make the tears stop as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He held her tight like if he let go she would disappear from his life again. "I told you to call me Aki," he said as he buried his head into shoulder.

"Right," she said slowly like she still had not gotten the hang of talking. She gasped suddenly. "Theodore. He…"

"Yes. He became the Great Seal so you could live."

"He told me," Hamuko whispered, "Before he truly became the seal and after he released me, he said…he said that I should live on and that he was sorry because he had to take my wild card ability to become the seal. He….he told me that he would always watch over me."

Akihiko silently held her as she began to sob. Even though he did not know Theodore as well there was a relationship between the two. There was nothing he could do for her pain but be there to comfort her. He owed her that for she was there when all he felt like doing was to break down and cry. And although he hated to think it, he was glad Theodore had become the seal for that made him able to see Hamuko again.

After what seemed like forever Hamukos' sobs finally ceased. She chuckled. "Look at me," she said. "I'm a mess."

"You are not," Akihiko pulled back so he could look her straight in the face. "You are beautiful. Theodore saw that as well. He gave up his life for you."

"I guess I will have to live like Junpei does for Chidori then," she said.

Akihiko kept silent. Telling her that Chidori was alive was probably not the best thing to tell her right now. She had to come to terms to what Theodore did for her.

Hamuko lifted one of her hands up and stared at it. "The only reason I have this life is because of him." She closed her hand into a fist and held it close to her heart. "I will live for the both of us." She looked up at Akihiko, the shine in her eyes from back then finally returning. "I guess I'm back."

"Yes you are," whispered Akihko as he pulled her into another embrace. "And this time I am not letting you go."

**Yup. Like I said, written for me who wants a happy ending for the FeMC. I'm thinking of writing an actual story that spins off what happened in this one but I don't know yet. Thanks for reading!**


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